Warriors: Black Rain

Chapter 1

      Scarpaw licked her jowls, her eyes set on a young muskrat collecting twigs near the waters edge. Mangroves and vines hid her from her prey, and her dark fur blended in with her surroundings. The damp, swampy air helped dull her scent.

      This would be easy.

      Her tail twitched in excitement; she could already taste it. The muskrat stopped messing with some reeds and stared out towards the water, and she started slowly stalking forwards, being sure to step only in the mud around her. She grew closer and closer until she was in pouncing reach, eyes trained directly on her target. With a twitch of her whiskers, Scarpaw raised her haunches and leapt, bursting from her hiding place in the thick undergrowth towards the sandy shore. The muskrat let out a small screech as she grabbed it with her front claws, sinking her strong teeth into it's neck, holding tight until she felt the body go limp. She could taste it's sweet blood, tempted to take a bite as her mentors words rang through her head:

      "A warrior always feeds the clan before themselves."

      With much effort , she carried it away from the water and back into the swamp without as much as a lick. Rainclan was set in the center of wooded marsh and waterways, requiring an experienced cat to find good hunting in the difficult territory. Scarpaw was out hunting in the farther end of the swamp, where it was mostly water and mud; she was used to the feeling of a wet pelt, so wading through the grimy water didn't bother her much.

      She was nearing the end of a hunting assessment by her mentor, Stormspirit.

      Raising her head, she looked looked up towards the high mangroves and trees above her, attempting to try and spot her mentor. He was watching her, and she knew it; but she couldn't see or smell him anywhere.

      "How can he disguise himself so well? I sure have much to learn," she thought to herself, admiring his abilities that far surpassed her own. She felt a twinge of jealousy, knowing Stormspirit was a younger warrior, and padded onward, determined to please her mentor with her assessment. 

      She reached the more wooded area of the swamp, where there wasn't as much mud to wade through. Shaking droplets from her thick pelt, Scarpaw opened her mouth slightly to try and catch any scents she might've missed. There was nothing besides the damp air and the prey in her jaws, so with a twitch of an ear, she padded onward towards the camp, assuming she would catch up with Stormspirit on her way back.

      Scarpaw froze on the path, blinking as a strong scent washed over her, pulling her away from her thoughts and grabbing her attention. She shut her eyes to try and latch onto it, finding it to be quite familiar, comforting...

      Stormspirit!

      Opening her eyes to scan the nearby undergrowth, she noticed his scent was moving quickly, making it hard to track. Left? Right? It was too difficult to tell... Bushes rustled behind her, but before she had a chance to turn around, something heavy landed on her back, knocking the breath right out of her, holding tightly onto her with sharp claws and jolting her with a shock. Scarpaw yowled, thrashing about, trying to throw her attacker with no avail; the claws only dug deeper. Thinking fast, she rolled to the ground, crushing the cat under her, jumping back into a fighting stance to face her attacker. His sleek grey coat was tattered and disheveled, but his yellow eyes gleamed with amusement.

     "Quite a fight you put up there, Scarpaw. I almost had you."

      Scarpaw twitched the tip of her tail, her green eyes glowing wide. "Stormspirit, please don't scare me like that! You made me drop my prey."

      Stormspirit sat and licked his dirty paw, running it over his ears. "Oh, yes. The muskrat. It was an excellent catch," he shook his pelt, "however, I would suggest going for the legs next time; if you miss or falter, they'll fly back into their holes faster than a scared rabbit."

      Scarpaw twitched her tail against the marshy ground. "Where were you? I couldn't see or smell you at all!"

      Flicking his ears, Stormspirit smiled, looking pleased. "You were too focused on catching the muskrat that you disconnected from your surroundings. It was a good thing you were keeping your attention on it, but you must learn to be open to all the scents around you, to be able to spot unfamiliar cats or unwanted company. Your determination is strong, but make sure to not allow it to blind your senses. Without them," he flicked an ear, "we wouldn't be cats, would we?"

      Scarpaw sighed, padding over towards her catch, which was thrown in the battle, to pick it back up. "Thank you, Stormspirit. I'll work on that." she had a hint of irritation to her voice, but Stormspirit knew it was aimed towards herself, so he brushed it off.

      "Don't fret, Scarpaw. It took me many moons to become a warrior, as it will for you." He lifted his head to sniff the air, shutting his eyes against a cool breeze. "It's such a nice day out, with new-leaf finally here. Shall we hunt together some more before returning to camp? You can work on your tracking skills."

      Scarpaw's eyes lit up, excited for the new challenge. She dropped the muskrat and dug up nearby dirt to cover it so she could return for it later, keeping it hidden from anything else passing through the marsh. With a wave of his tail, Stormspirit leapt over a nearby log, dashing off in search of more prey, with Scarpaw right on his heels.

      Stormspirit was right, she thought. With new-leaf finally here, there would be more prey emerging from their holes and dens to relish in the new warmth and growth. The territory around her was familiar and full of memories, despite Scarpaw being born in Mapleclan. Many of Scarpaw's past was now shrouded in thick fog, paling in comparison to her busy life here, training as a loyal Rainclan apprentice. As far as she was concerned, she might as well have been born here, surrounded by the thick marshy woods and cypress trees, stretching high towards the sky above.

She bounded off, passing Stormspirit with an amused yowl, occupied by her warm thoughts and hopes for the upcoming season. There were plenty of prey to catch, and at the call of a nearby black bird, Scarpaw felt herself pushing even further into the woods ahead.